Outstanding mare First Seal is at the crossroads of her career with her trainer John Thompson hoping she can stand up to a spring preparation that will defer her retirement to stud.

First Seal was Timeform’s highest rated filly in Australia at the end of her three-year-old season in 2014/15 when her wins included the G1 Flight Stakes, G2 Tea Rose Stakes and G2 Surround Stakes.

However very little has gone right for First Seal over the last 12 months after a career threatening hoof problem required surgery that kept her sidelined for the first half of last season.

She made a successful comeback to win the G2 Millie Fox first-up in February followed by a second in the G1 Canterbury Stakes but was unplaced in her remaining two starts for the autumn before she required another operation.

This time it was to remove a splint bone after she was injured in the G1 Doncaster Mile at Randwick in April won by Winx.

Now five, First Seal is back in work preparing for the spring with the G1 Epsom Handicap at Randwick and G1 Myer Classic at Flemington singled out by Thompson as her major targets.

However it’s very much a fingers crossed situation for Thompson due to the splint bone operation.

“If she does not come up she can go to stud, but if she does she will race on,” Thompson said.

“She got galloped on in the Doncaster and shattered her splint bone. It had be taken out and she is back sound and happy.

“We are just aiming to get her going again as there are plenty of options for her in the spring.

“I cannot see any reason why she cannot get back to her best.”

Thompson’s spring hopes are based very much on female members of his stable with the Group performers winners Honesta and Zanbagh classy support acts to Fiurst Seal.

Thompson is delighted with the progress of Honesta, a filly who let him down in the autumn after her sequence of Group placings last spring.

“Honesta has had a decent spell for the first time. She has come back bigger and stronger this time.

“Hopefully with that spell under her belt she can come back in the spring.

“Zanbagh has come back for the spring mares races and will aim for the Myer Classic.

“’We will keep her fresh because she goes well that way. She does not need much work to get fit.”

Quality import Sir John Hawkwood has joined the Thompson stable from David Vandyke and will strengthen the trainer’s hopes for the major staying races with his other imports Auvray and Orbec.

“He is a nice style of horse and will probably have a couple of runs in Sydney then head to Melbourne,” Thompson said.

“He might go to the Caulfield Cup. If not we will head to the Geelong Cup.”